Needles and Traffic
by xxxTalesxxx
Summary: Blood work?" Mikami Teru repeated incredulously, tasting the words on his lips. "With needles?"


A/N: Holy crap, I haven't written anything for quite a while. I hope to work on SC, TAPIP soon, seeing as it /is/ summer, and I should have time to work on it. Anyways, enjoy this, svp. ;3 Sorry for the horrible formatting. Ilupeople.

-x-

The examination had gone without incident. The pair had stepped into the waiting room that was both as cold and as silent as a morgue despite the seemingly infinite number of people that occupied it. They had sat next to one another and filled out the typical paperwork. They were weighed, measured, and sent into a clean, cramped room that smelled of antiseptic and latex. The nurse took their blood pressures, their temperatures, and their insurance information. She seemed mostly concerned with the latter. The doctor, an older gentleman, performed the typical procedures and deemed them both in superior health.  
"Now, all you have to do is go for blood work. Just follow the hallway all to the end and take a right. Once you're there, hand the nurse behind the counters these forms and you're all set," The doctor shook Light Yagami's hand, the young adult returning the motion with confidence. When he moved to shake the appendage of his prosecutor companion, he was greeted with a limp hand and a strangely vacant expression.

"Blood work?" Mikami Teru repeated incredulously, tasting the words on his lips. "With needles?"

"What else do you use? Anyways, you two keep it up. Have a nice day."  
The older of the two looked dismayed; a slight frown was set into his features, and his eyes clouded. However, his overall countenance remained passive and distant until the two entered the lobby area for the lab, even so until he sat in a chair. He was then transformed in rigid, tense being, and his hands trembled slightly as he picked up a magazine. He flipped through it without interest. On the other hand, Light was /very/ interested.

Mikami was a man who showed no fear. Whether it was rescuing his God from a giant cockroach or inspecting cadavers and horribly mutilated bodies for his profession, Light had yet to see his acolyte bat an eye at any gruesome image. Therefore, watching his companion turn more and more pale, his eyes darting rapidly across the room with the faintest sheen of sweat appear behind his thick bangs, was awfully strange. Although the two had maintained a mutual, wordless agreement to remain separated emotionally for the sake of the New World, he couldn't help but feel concerned. Scowling, he placed his hand lightly on his disciple's shoulder, the act causing the other to flinch and turn stiffly to Light.  
"Mikami, my pet, what are all the things that scare you? Be honest with me," His voice was clipped and serious, and the other looked distraught at having to answer such a personal question. Blindly groping for another topic, he stopped when he saw the expectant look in Light's eyes.

"Needles," He began slowly, trying desperately to stall for time. "Small, closed rooms. I have mild claustrophobia. Being late or off schedule. Deep water- pools, oceans, lakes." He paused, thinking for sometime, opening and closing his mouth as he struggled to find the correct words. "My greatest fear of all, however, is that I will fail God and He will not like me anymore...I just want make God happy, and I fear that I will fail." Light opened his mouth to respond but was interrupted by a rather pudgy nurse calling them, much to Mikami's horror. He walked briskly into the small room, sat on the chair, bit his lip, and closed his eyes boldly. It would have embarrassed him if he had realized that he had been hyperventilating. The second the nurse approached him and pressed an implement into his palm he recoiled automatically and violently, plastering himself, and his arms, against the wall. Taut with nerve, it took him several moments to realize that there was no hand forcibly grabbing his arm, no dabbing with a scratchy cotton ball, no elastic band seeping into his flesh, no needle sinking into his skin.

"I-Is it over?" He asked, his strong tone turned sheepish and weak.  
"No, now, hold still."  
"G-God?"  
"Yes, Mikami?"  
"Are you taking my blood sample?"  
"Yes, Mikami. Now, I assure you everything's going to be alright."  
The sleeve of his shirt was curled up slightly, an elastic band cutting into his skin. Teru flinched and shuddered, taking slow, calm breaths."That's much better, Mikami. I want you to strain your arm- that's perfect. Now take a deep breath: I want you to release it on three. One, two, three."  
Teru let out his breath and opened his eyes, Light pressing the needle expertly into his vein. The two sat in silence as three vials were filled up, Mikami's one of ultimate reverence and Light's one of ultimate concentration. He replaced the needle with a cotton ball and asked his servant to hold it, then covering the puncture skillfully with a bandaid.  
"There," the deity sounded satisfied, removing his gloves with two loud snaps. "All done. Go wait outside, I'll be done in a minute."  
"Yes, God."

-x-

"God, I still don't understand. Why did the nurse let you use the needle?"  
"Theatrics is all, my pet. I pretended to be a medical student for a moment, and I explained your phobia of needles. She was quite understanding."  
"Ah, I see."

A moment of silence.

"I know it is not my place to ask such questions, but is God afraid of anything?" There was a deeper, less comfortable silence as the divine of the two mulled it over.  
"I do not like cockroaches that much," Light replied regally, keeping his eyes focused ahead of him. "I do not like it when Ryuuk's eyes glow in the dark, nor do I like crossing intersections where there is a great amount of traffic. Even in such a world clean of Evil, there is no way to get rid of all bad drivers. Sadly, I must face the last two daily; as for the first, I have someone to protect me from those." The prosecutor was silent as the other jabbed the button for the crosswalk irritably, obviously not thrilled about crossing a point where the cars raced by without recognition nor acknowledgement of any traffic codes ever brought into existence for the good of man.

The red hand turned to a white walking man, and Light took a step forward. He was then forcibly pulled closer to his hand, Mikami wrapping his arm around his God's shoulders. "What are you doing?"

"I'm protecting God from his fear. I won't let cars harm you, God." Mikami's voice was childish, that of toddler saying he was going to protect his Mama from the monsters from under the bed with his trusty flashlight. There was a moment of steaming cheeks on both of their parts before Light laughed and laughed, such a noise he had not emitted since he had taken the task of cleansing the world of evil as its God. He pressed up against Mikami to humor him, aware that the prosecutor's face was matching the color of his eyes while doing judgment. It was liberating to be comfortable with another human again, even if his disciple still had to be kept on a leash. Still, it was too entertaining to see his stoic lawyer turn every shade of red when he kissed him on the cheek, a sarcastic: "My hero," a gesture of thanks.

All the way home, Light remained in an uncharacteristically good mood while latched to Mikami's arm, the latter rubbing his still blushing cheek with wide eyes.


End file.
